Ross 128b
Distance: 11 Lightyears
Star: Ross 128
Constellation: Virgo
Many astronomers really like Ross 128b. Not only is it one of the closest to Earth at just 11 lightyears, but the planet also seems to be impressively habitable. Xavier Bonfils and his team discovered the planet on November 15, 2017. They used the radial velocity detection method. Ross 128b orbits a red dwarf star called Ross 128.
It’s around 35% more massive than Earth and even sees around 38% more sunlight. In spite of this, the numbers sort of even out. Thereby allowing potential temperatures to be reasonable and likely suitable for long-term liquid water to exist on the surface. This all depends on the atmosphere, which requires further study. With the good comes some bad. Astronomers aren’t sure if it orbits in the habitable zone. Ross 128b resides on the inner edge, yet since it gets so much sunlight, it is certainly assumed to be in a habitable region. It also orbits quite fast around its host star. Ross 128b completes the trip in just under 10 Earth days. Meaning years are 10 Earth days long!